What to be aware of when raising two puppies
From anecdotal evidence, there used to be something called “Littermate Syndrome”. While there is no research that suggests this exists, there sure are common issues that occur from adopting 2 puppies at the same time. Mainly showing in the lack of social skills or confidence in one or both of the puppies.
It’s possible that the perceived increase in neophobia in puppies raised together is due to the owners doing less thorough socialisation with a pair than with a single puppy. If the puppies are littermates, they may also both share a genetic predisposition to anxiety or behavioural problems making them both more likely to develop issues individually and it is possible for pups to exacerbate problems in each other.
Puppies often panic when separated as they tend to be hyperbonded. It’s possible—probable, even—that these intense interdependent relationships can only arise if the dogs are raised together for long periods of time, rarely separated, and rarely introduced to other dogs (or even people). They seem relatively socially deprived except for each other.
While not all puppies raised together will inevitably experience aggression or neophobia, it should be the goal to avoid several specific conditions that often arise when people attempt to raise siblings together:
Inadequate socialisation, especially with other dogs. Many unknowing owners assume that letting their two puppies play together is an adequate replacement for dog-dog socialisation. This misunderstanding is particularly understandable when the two puppies are the same age and breed. In other words, it’s particularly easy to fall into this trap when raising siblings. Introduce the puppies and teenage dogs to other dogs, both together and separately.
Inadequate environmental management. It also seems that some owners are more likely to slip up on environmental management (removing food bowls, managing access to resting places) when the dogs are perceived as “best friends who have never been apart”—as is the case with two puppies.
Insufficient “alone time” training. Many of the hyperbonded dogs are crated together, walked together, taken to the vet together, and so on. The owners sometimes reported that they had “never been apart.” And therein may lie the problem. Just like we’d expect to see separation anxiety if a dog had never been more than three feet from their owner, it’s not surprising to see extreme distress in these adult siblings that have never been taught how to be apart. Do things like training classes, walks and more with just one dog at a time to help them develop the independence, resilience and coping skills to remain calm and confident if they are ever separated. But also teach them to be able to focus, concentrate, learn and perform around each other by appropriately engaging and motivating them through reward based training.
Failure to meet the dogs’ needs. Many of the cases of aggression amongst two puppies raised together are also paired with a clear lack of mental and physical enrichment for the dogs. Owners assume that the two siblings could keep each other company and they don’t see a need for puzzle toys, training games, long walks, and so on because the dogs “have each other.”
Having less time and patience. Getting two puppies at once can generate a lot more chaos, stress, work and frustration for people. This can potentially translate into the pups being met with more animosity at the hands of their human family, which influences their development and sociability. Additionally, having two at once almost inevitably means that there will be less time spent with each pup, which may compromise ideal development.
The dogs’ basic needs for socialisation, mental enrichment, training, environmental management, and physical exercise all must be addressed.
In light of the above, it is still prudent to emphasise that getting two pups at the same time is not recommended or encouraged due to the amount of work involved and the challenges it brings. It is a common misconception that it will reduce the time and energy needed to be invested in each pup because of the view that they will entertain each other and provide for each other’s social wants and needs – this is not the case. Sure, they may entertain each other but they certainly cannot give each other the complete and robust requirements for socialisation. What people may not realise is that they still each require the same amount of separate work to be put into them.
Having two at once makes it more difficult to focus on one at any time, making life harder, not easier. However, there is nothing inherently wrong with it, as long as both individuals are provided with their needs and are appropriately socialised to the world at large (other dogs, people, objects, places, experiences) to foster optimal neuro-behavioural development.
Based on the articles from Kayla Fratt here and Eleanor Parker here!